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A Nano Method to Clean Polluted Water

submitted by Samuel Bendett

Homeland Security News Wire - February 21, 2012

Decontaminating polluted waste water costs millions, but a new discovery by scientists at the University of Brighton could result in huge savings as well as delivering safer, cleaner water

Decontaminating polluted waste water costs millions, but a new discovery by scientists at the University of Brighton could result in huge savings as well as delivering safer, cleaner water.

The research, recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, represents a significant shift in scientists’ understanding of chemistry. Mercury is a serious contaminant so this breakthrough could save millions of pounds.

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Civil Society Initiative Relevant to HADR Communication

submitted by Samuel Bendett

This initiative related to HADR illustrates how NGOs are working to fill the gaps in government planning and response.

internews.org

During humanitarian disasters people affected by the unfolding tragedy need more than physical necessities. They also have an urgent need for information. In the aftermath of a crisis, from earthquakes, to armed conflicts, survival can depend on knowing the answers to essential questions.

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Myanmar: Campaign Curbs Are Lifted

by The Associated Press - The New York Times - February 21, 2012

The election authorities in Myanmar lifted restrictions on political campaigning Monday in an unusually swift response to complaints from the party of the pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The party, the National League for Democracy, had said that the restrictions risked making coming by-elections unfair. The election commission’s decision was unusually quick in a country where a nominally civilian government took office just a year ago after a half-century of military rule.

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Six Key Solutions for Pro-Poor WASH Financing

submitted by Gigi Pomerantz

by gbastinwsup - Sanitation Updates - February 20, 2012

Financing water and sanitation improvements for the very poor remains a major challenge over large areas of the globe.

In the lead-up to World Water Forum 2012, sector specialists throughout the world have been asked to report specific solutions for addressing this challenge. Based on these concrete examples, IRC and WSUP today propose six key solutions for pro-poor WASH finance.

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Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship

The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the premier, international platform for accelerating entrepreneurial approaches and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social issues.

Each year in Oxford, 900 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors convene in Oxford for three days and nights of critical debates, discussions and work sessions aimed at innovating, accelerating and scaling solutions to social challenges.

The Skoll World Forum is a programme of the Skoll Foundation and is co-produced with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the Saïd Business School, Oxford University.

http://skollworldforum.org/about/

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Invisibility Cloak to Protect Buildings from Earthquakes

submitted by Samuel Bendett and Linton Wells

Homeland Security News Wire - February 15, 2012

Scientists show that by cloaking components of structures with pressurized rubber, powerful waves such as those produced by an earthquake would not “see” the building — they would simply pass around the structure and thus prevent serious damage or destruction

University of Manchester mathematicians have developed the theory for a Harry Potter-style cloaking device which could protect buildings from earthquakes.

Dr. William Parnell’s team in the University’s School of Mathematics has been working on the theory of invisibility cloaks which, until recently, have been merely the subject of science fiction.

In recent times, however, scientists have been getting close to achieving cloaking in a variety of contexts. A University of Manchester release reports that the work from the team at Manchester focuses on the theory of cloaking devices which could eventually help to protect buildings and structures from vibrations and natural disasters such as earthquakes.

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One Billion Smartphones by 2016, Says Forrester

submitted by Samuel Bendett

by Zack Whittaker - zdnet.com - February 13, 2012

Summary: A new Forrester research report sees over 1 billion smartphones being used by 2016, while app store spending increases and ‘bring your own’ device becomes the norm.

In a world where already you cannot travel on the subway without someone flipping out their cellphone, or stand at a Starbucks without someone yapping away on their iPhone, imagine what’ll happen with 1 billion smartphones out there?

Forrester seems to think so. Analysts at Forrester believe that by 2016 — only four years away, and in time for the following Olympics — there could be as many as 1 billion smartphones on the planet. This isn’t to say that everyone will have two or more smartphones, that is.

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Sudanese Rebels Free 29 Chinese Hostages

submitted by Bob Cooper

by Nicholas Bariyo - The Wall Street Journal - February 8, 2012

KAMPALA Uganda—Rebels in oil-rich Sudan on Tuesday released 29 Chinese workers, capping a hostage drama that exposed the risks of China's investments in the conflict-prone African region.

In a statement, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said that the Chinese captives were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross early Tuesday and eventually flown to Nairobi, where they were taken to China's Embassy in Kenya.

China's Foreign Ministry described the 29 as being in good physical health "and stable mood," according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

(READ ARTICLE HERE)

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Nuba Mountains Peace Coalition

For those seeking more information on the possible genocide in the area of South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains, an overview and current reports can be found in:

 

http://nubapeace.org/


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